Hydrolysis tower



A. HRENG HYDRoLYsIs TOWER May 23, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Sept. 17,1945 ATTO/WVU May 23, E950 A. HERENG HYDROLYSIS TOWER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2Filed Sept. 17, 1945 Patented May 23, 1950 PATENT forel-ce mafilfgltmAndr Breng, yaris,".ranee adams. (ci. grazen or'ftdtheir dryingafterihydrolysis. Y

As'f a--inatter of -factf one' generally vvuses, for

fscl'i treatments, -important 1ajg'ipliances' such as 'diff-userZbatteries which 1repiti-ie'v intricate 'piping fandvaivesystems.generally resditgiin that the werking `u-p -oi solid materials entailscon- V=vsideiiatilfl expenses-fer th'iirst `equipment` as iwell -lsLveryliiglfr-working-eest'sl I "The device which formsthefsubjec't-rirratter of Athe Apresent invention 4makes' t 2possi7ble.-with a ifedtieed cost `for the .iirstequipment, t insure the continuoustreatment of the materials in question in a simple manner and with arelatively untrained stal.

Said device essentially consists of `a tower inside which blades formedinto ramps slope alternately in reverse directions, each ramp receivingthe products treated on the next upper ramp, the downward movement ofsaid products being insured by vibrators externally secured to the wallsof the tower.

Owing to the ramp arrangement in conjunction with the action of thevibrators the material discharged onto the ramps runs down progressivelyin the tower while being constantly stirred, which promotes thetreatment throughout the whole mass. The slope of the ramps can besmall, which makes it possible to reduce the height of the tower and,therefore, the expenses for the construction of the latter. Also, thegaseous products have access to the material being treated by passingthrough the blades, thus promoting the regularity of the processes andcarrying them out in a continuous manner.

Certain of the blades are perforated for allowing the liquids to pass,which permits either making local extraction or controlling thereactions in a suitable manner.

Combined with the blades are devices for discharging liquids such laswater, worts, juices,

Y acids and the like onto the material being treated and devices forreceiving liquids such as sugarloaded juices located beneath saidblades. Said devices make it possible to insure the control of theoperations and even to modify their develop- Ament in the desireddirection.

Heating or cooling means can be associated either with the tower or witha portion of the latter or with the devices for working up theabovementioned sprinkling liquids.

rfortn ici" execution iof the device according to fthe invention'provided ffor 'the ftreatmenthof plants with acids fissh'ownby' Vwayf:of f example-` in `:the appended drawingsfin which:

:Figure I1 isf 4*gi/generar sectional :vertical views of -fthecwhale. Y'Figure-Z iisv a1-vertlcalfsectional view showing usinne elei'r-rents'df the' device =on=fa larger sscale. v

rand

ref Figure T2'.

iili-heide'vice essentialiyfconsists' of a ftower I.

` The latter has a Arec'tangulai" fsection fin-'order -1 to facilitateits construction, ribut rsaid section f could :alsoffhave 'anothershape.

vari rmer' i-bonite lining, lava for the @like .product, reinforcedcement covered with ceramics and the like. On the top of the tower isarranged the device 2 for the distribution of the products to betreated. In the lower part of the tower is provided a device 3 forremoving the treated products. Means such as 4, 5 for the introductionof the treating iiuids are 'arranged in a suitable manner as well asinspection openings 6.

From the top to the bottom of the tower are arranged horizontal bladesA8 formed into shelf ramps generally indicated at 1 which slopealternately in contrary directions. The blades 8 may be of ceramic orother acid resistant material and each, blade has a projection or heel8a contacting a support 9. Individual supports 9 are secured to thewalls ofthe tower I beneath each blade so that the blades rest onindividual supports. Said superposed blades partly overlap one anotherso that the material being treated and leaving a blade falls on the nextlower blade. Nevertheless said blades leave between one another passagesI0 for the gases but without allowing solid or liquid materials to passthrough I0. Vibrators I I are externally Secured to the walls of thetower. The vibrations are transmitted to each individual blade 8 and tothe material resting thereupon, said material being thus maintained in astate of turbulence and falling down regularly on the ramps without itbeing necessary to provide internal stirring means in the tower. Theslope of the ramps is determined experimentally for allowing thematerial being treated to remain during a suitable time in the tower forthe treatment which it is to undergo. The combined use of the ramps 'land of the vibrators I l makes it possible to insure the continuouspassage of the material notwithstanding the slight slope of the rampsl', which considerably reduces the space required by the tower I.

Certain blades such as I2 are perforated like a sieve for permittinglocal extractions of liquid. The liquid falls then into a trough I3Whereafter it flows into an overfall I4 from which it is extracted by apiping I5. It is thus possible to effectuate Ea partial extraction ofthe juices or simply to make a sampling.

Perforated tubes such as I6 permit a local sprinkling combined or notcombined with the taking or sampling at I3-I Ii--I 5.

Likewise, it is possible to collect on one or two stages the liquidproducts lformed on the preceding stages. The blades of said stage orstages are then entirely perforated as indicated atv I1.- They can besprinkled with water or acid. The

' 4 a gas insuring the treatment of the material falling down on thesuccessive ramps 1.

The device described above as being able to be used for the treatment ofvegetable material with acids can also be used for the treatment of anyother solid liquid-impregnated materials.` 'It is 1 `'more particularlysuitable for the sacch'arication of wood and can advantageously replacethe dif- !v tusers generally used for this operation.A It can also beused for insuring the drying and the recovery of the acid from theproducts which have been submitted to the saccharication. It would alsobe possible to use it for any similar treatment to be eiected onmaterials of similar consistences.

' Iclaim:

1. In a hydrolysis tower -for treating acid im- 4 pregnated solidsubstances. a plurality of sloping shelves dening a zigzag path from thetop to the bottom of the tower, each of said shelves comprising aplurality of horizontal overlapping blades, a plurality of individualsupports for each of said blades fastened to the walls of said tower,each of said blades having a, downwardly directed projection forcontacting a side of a support to form the only securing means between ablade and its support, means for vibrating the walls of I the towerthereby vibrating the blades and their supports to move said substancestowards the bottom of the tower. the inside Walls of the tower, theblades and supports being of acid resistant material.

2. The tower according to claim 1, and perforations in some of saidblades, a sprinkler above said blades, and a trough below the blades forcollecting liquid.

ANDR HRENG.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the iile ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS

1. IN A HYDROLYSIS TOWER FOR TREATING ACID IMPREGNATED SOLID SUBSTANCES,A PLURALITY OF SLOPING SHELVES DEFINING A ZIGZAG PATH FROM THE TOP TOTHE BOTTOM OF THE TOWER, EACH OF SAID SHELVES COMPRISING A PLURALITY OFHORIZONTAL OVERLAPPING BLADES, A PLURALITY OF INDIVIDUAL SUPPORTS FOREACH OF SAID BLADES FASTENED TO THE WALLS OF SAID TOWER, EACH OF SAIDBLADES HAVING A DOWNWARDLY DIRECTED PROJECTION FOR CONTACTING A SIDE OFA SUPPORT TO FORM THE ONLY SECURING MEANS BETWEEN A BLADE AND ITSSUPPORT, MEANS FOR VIBRATING THE WALLS OF THE TOWER THEREBY VIBRATINGTHE BLADES AND THEIR SUPPORTS TO MOVE SAID SUBSTANCES TOWARDS THE BOTTOMOF THE TOWER, THE INSIDE WALLS OF THE TOWER, THE BLADES AND SUPPORTSBEING OF ACID RESISTANT MATERIAL.